Bilge spout



Patented May 25, 1954 UNITED STATES RATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to bilge spouts-and more particularly to a spout to be attached to the side of a ship at a bilge discharge opening for directing the bilge outwardly from the side of the ship.

Considerable difllculty has heretofore been encountered in painting the exteriors of ships because of the discharge, through the various bilge openings, of liquid materials, which as the flow over a freshly painted surface destroy the coating and produce streaks on the side of the ship which detract from the appearance thereof.

Various expedients have heretofore been proposed but none of these has proven satisfactory. For example, blocks have been inserted in the bilge openings, but these tend to leak and also in some instances the prolonged stoppage of the bilge opening is objectionable. In some instances, covers have been welded over the bilge openings during the painting operation and have been removed after the paint has dried. This also is objectionable because of the time and expense involved.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a spout for use at the bilge discharge openings of a ship for the purpose of conducting the discharged fluid materials away from the ship.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a bilge spout which may be quickly and easily applied at the bilge discharge opening on the exterior of a ship, and which may be readily removed upon completion of the painting operation.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a bilge spout which may be applied to the skin or exterior wall of a ship at the bilge opening and with which a waterproof seal against the exterior surface of the plate forming part of the wall of the ship may be quickly and easily effected.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a bilge spout which may be employed at locations where there is a change in the thickness of the plates forming part of the skin of the ship.

Other objects and advantageous features 'of the invention will be'apparent from the specification and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in end elevation of a preferred form of bilge spout in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, a fragmentary portion of the skin or side wall of a ship is indicated at H) shown as made of plates Ella and lb of different thickness welded together. The side wall H! has a bilge discharge opening I i therethrough to which the bilge is delivered, for discharge, by any suitable fluid connection l2.

The bilge spout in accordance with the present invention preferably includes a frame or cylindrical ring l5, preferably of metal, having a recess it on the inner face thereof for the reception of a cylindrical washer I1 ofresilient material, such as rubber or the like. The ring l5 has an outward annular extension 18 to which a semi-cylindrical liquid conductor or spout member I9, preferably of sheet metal, is secured in any desired manner, such as by rivets 20. At the outer end of the spout member I 9, a horizontal cross bar 2! is provided to which the walls of the spout member I9 are secured in any preferred manner, such as by screws 22.

A supporting rod 23 is provided which is adapted to extend through the cross bar 2|, and has a transversely extending block 24 at its inner end, with internally and preferably reversely threaded interior openings 25 and 26. Within the openings 25 and 25 complementally threaded studs 2! and 23 are provided in engagement. Each of the studs 2'! and 28 is provided with a pointed conical end portion 29 and with a non-circular portion 30, preferably square in transverse crosssection, for purposes of manual adjustment as hereinafter explained. At the outer end of the rod 23, a threaded portion 3| is provided for engagement by a wing nut 32 which abuts against the outer face of the cross bar 2].

The bilge spout as heretofore described is suitable for many installations, but where a variation in plate thickness occurs, as illustrated by the plates I list and Nib, it is desirable in order to effect seating of the lower portion of the reilient washer ring H, to provide brackets 33 in the interior of the ring 15 and disposed on a chord above the center or line of extension of the rod 23. Each of the brackets 33 is internally threaded and is provided with a threaded abutment screw 34 which may have its inner end advanced by turning of the same for engagement with the plate, such as the plate Illa, forming part of the skin of the ship.

The mode of operation will now be pointed out.

If the abutment screws 34 are not employed, or if they are not required and are retracted so that their ends are in alignment with the inner end of the ring IE, the bilge spout may be employed on a wall or plate [0 which does not change in thickness. The transverse block 24 is positioned within the discharge opening I l, interiorly of the outer edge or outer face of the skin 19 of the ship, and horizontally, vertically or inclined as desired, and the studs 2'! and 28 are advanced outwardly so that the pointed ends 29 thereof are in tight gripping engagement with the edge of the discharge opening H. A hand wrench may be applied on the portions 30 to effect the desired gripping. With the wing nut 32 removed, the

ring l5 and conductor l9 are moved toward the wall Hi, the cross bar 2| is mounted on the rod 23 and the wing nut 32 is applied and tightened. The resilient washer l? is then drawn into sealing engagement with the skin [0 of the ship.

Any fluid material delivered to the discharge opening I l is thus transferred by the liquid conductor l9 to a position outwardly of the skin ill of the ship so that injury or damage to paint or the like is obviated.

The bilge spout may be removed by a reversal of the operations just described.

If the skin of the ship consists of plates of varying thickness Na and b as indicated, before the wing nut 32 is fully tightened, the abutment screws 34 are advanced to bring their ends in engagement with the plate [0a, thus providing a fulcrum point for the ring i5 such that the resilient ring I! will seat over a substantial portion of its inner face and prevent the downward leakage of liquid. The wing nut 32 may then be tightened to provide the desired seal. A wide variety of sizes and shapes of bilge discharge openings in the skin of the ship may be accommodated with the block 24 and securing studs 21 and 28 illustrated.

I claim:

1. A spout for detachable connection to an upright wall having a discharge opening therethrough comprising a frame, a resilient washer on the inner end face of said frame, an upwardly extending liquid conductor carried by said frame,

. a transversely extending block having outwardly movable threaded studs for engagement in the side wall portions of the discharge opening, and connecting members between said block and said liquid conductor.

2. A spout for detachable connection to an upright wall having a discharge opening therethrough comprising a frame, a resilient washer on the inner end face of said frame, an outwardly extending liquid conducting channel member carried by said frame, a transversely extending block having outwardly movable threaded studs for engagement in the side wall portions of the discharge opening, a rod carried by said block and having a threaded outer end, a connector between said rod and said channel member, and an internally threaded member on said rod end for clamping said washer in engagement with said wall.

3. A spout for detachable connection to an upright wall having a discharge opening therethrough comprising a ring, a resilient washer on the inner end face of said ring, an outwardly extending liquid conducting open channel member carried by said ring, a connector on said channel member, a transversely extending member having outwardly movable threaded portions with pointed ends for engagement in the side wall portions of the discharge opening, a rod carried by said member and having a threaded outer end extending through said connector, and an internally threaded member on said rod for clamping said washer in engagement with said wall.

4. A spout for detachable connection to an upright Wall having a discharge opening therethrough comprising a frame, a resilient washer on the inner end face of said frame, an outwardly extending liquid conducting channel member carried by said frame, a transversely extending connector on said channel member, a transversely extending member having outwardly movable threaded portions for engagement in the side wall portions of the discharge opening, a rod carried by said member and having a threaded end extending through said connector, a nut on said rod for clamping said washer in engagement with said wall, and retractible abutment members carried on said frame for engagement with said wall.

5. A spout for detachable connection to an upright wall having a discharge opening therethrough, comprising a ring, a resilient washer on the inner end face of said ring,'an outwardly extending open channel member carried by said ring, a transverse connector bar in said channel member, a transversely extending block having outwardly movable threaded studs with pointed ends for engagement in the side wall portions of the discharge opening, a rod in engagement with said block and extending through said connector bar and having a threaded outer end, and a nut on said threaded end and in engagement with said connector bar for clamping said washer in engagement with said wall.

6. A spout for detachable connection to an upright wall having a discharge opening therethrough comprising a liquid conductor having an outwardly extending open channel portion with a ring member at the inner end thereof having a resilient sealing ring of a diameter greater than that of the discharge opening, said sealing ring having a transversely disposed inner face for engagement with the wall beyond said opening, and means for clamping said conductor with said face in engagement with said wall including a member connected to said liquid conductor and having transverse to said channel portion oppositely outwardly expansible portions with pointed ends for gripping engagement in said opening, and portions for actuating said expansible portions.

7. A spout for detachable connection to an upright wall having a discharge opening therethrough comprising a liquid conductor having an outwardly extending channel portion with a ring member at the inner end thereof having a resilient sealing ring of a diameter greater than that of the discharge opening, said sealing ring having a transversely disposed inner face, and. means connected to said conductor for clamping said conductor with said transversely disposed face in engagement with the exterior face of said wall beyond said opening including transverse to said channel portion diametrically oppositely disposed pointed members for gripping engagement with the side wall portions of said opening,

members for positioning said pointed members.

and a connection from said last named members to said conductor.

8. A spout as defined in claim 7 having retractible members carried by said conductor ring member and longitudinally movable at the inner end thereof for engagement with said wall.

Name Date Gaddes Oct. 13, 1896 Number Number Name Date Pearch Apr. 10, 1917 Koster Nov. 27, 1917 Stone July 19, 1938 Dowty Dec. 14, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain June 12, 1902 Great Britain May 5, 1921 France Apr. 10, 1928 

